Coffee Break Webinar

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AEA Coffee Break WebinarLearning and Evaluation Plans for Advocacy and Policy Change Strategies

Presenters:Jane Reisman, Founder and Senior Advisor, ORS Impact

Anne Gienapp, Senior Consultant, ORS Impact

Amy Arbreton, Evaluation Officer, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

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Three Hewlett Foundation Projects Referenced:

1. Evaluation of the Education

Program’s Federal Policy Grantees

2. MLE Consultant to Lead Policy

Cluster Grantee for Education

Program

3. Summative Evaluation of the

Nuclear Security Initiative

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Five Recommendations for

Advocacy Monitoring & Evaluation

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Questions?

Five Recommendations:

1. Let go of narrowly defined formative and summative evaluation

approaches to M&E for advocacy and policy change work

2. Add “L” to the equation with M&E, and leverage learning

3. Turn monitoring on its head; ask different kinds of questions

4. Develop cross-cutting learning questions with partner stakeholders and

engage stakeholders in ongoing learnings

5. Embrace qualitative data as important and valuable, while also keeping

an eye on select metrics that signify progress

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Recommendation 1:

Let go of narrowly

defined formative and

summative evaluation

approaches to M&E for

advocacy and policy

change work

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What are Useful Approaches Across Projects?

•Fit to purpose

•Ask the right questions

??

? ??

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Recommendation 2:

Add “L” to the

equation with M&E,

and leverage learning M“L”

E

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2x2 Matrix: Grantee Alignment and Access

Low

High

Acc

ess

Alignment

Org 9Org 8

Org 7Org 3

Org 1

Org 5

Org 4 Org 6

Org 2

Example: MLE Consulting

Hewlett Education Program Lead Policy Cluster Grantee

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Recommendation 3:

Turn monitoring on its

head; ask different kinds

of questions

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Example: Summative Evaluation

Nuclear Security Initiative

Too many targets to monitor

effectively

• Changes in landscape affected

relevance of targets

• Grantee reports provided little info

about progress towards targets

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Recommendation 4:

Develop cross-cutting

learning questions with

partner stakeholders &

engage stakeholders in

ongoing learnings

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Recommendation 5:

Embrace qualitative data

as important and

valuable, while also

keeping an eye on select

metrics that signify

progress

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- Enforcement of established policies and agreements

- Adoption of domestic and international policies, agreements or treaties

- Visible media/social media coverage

- Influential champions advocate for key causes

Iceberg | A Metaphor for Policy Change

- Within NGOs and the field as a whole, strong capacity to carry out effective communications and advocacy

- Readiness among NGOs and the field to nimbly and powerfully respond to changes in the policy environment, rising opportunities

- Alignment and coordination among a diverse set of actors, e.g., funders, research, advocates

- Breadth of expertise in the field - Common language, shared goals among nations

- Open avenues for effective dialogue and communication among decision makers

M O R E V I S I B L E

L E S S V I S I B L E

See: Schlangen, R. and Coe, J. 2014. The value iceberg: weighing the benefits of advocacy and campaigning.

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Q & A

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Presented by:

Jane Reisman, Founder and Senior Advisor, ORS [email protected]

Anne Gienapp, Senior Consultant, ORS [email protected]

Amy Arbreton, Evaluation Officer, The William and Flora Hewlett [email protected]

For more information and follow up contact